Alias Design Marking Menu Slow

[Anonymous]

Alias Design marking menu is running very slow.  Experience lag of about 0.5 to 1 second between marking menu swipes/flicks. It doesn't sound like much but it feels like an eternity- I've always worked fast in Alias, never had this issue before in past 7 years. 

[Florian.Coenen]

Hi guys,

Fyi; i am running 2 4k monitors with 60 hz, with alias and have no lack.
Maybe someone can post a Screencast that shows the issue.

Any luck so far with a reset?

Best regards,

[Anonymous]

Slow to draw the line and the selected tool box. The selected tool seems available immediately.

[amandaallsion.lila]

I just upgraded from 2018 to 2018.2 in Autostudio and started experiencing a similar lag in the marking menus. It's just slow enough to make you have to wait after each command. Seems to be at least half the speed of normal. Feels like it does when working with a really heavy file. I reduced my data within my file as much as possible, and it didn't make a difference. I double checked my system and it is more than adequate. I find the mention of the 4K monitor interesting, since that is what I have here, too.

As far as the option to reset Alias goes...  the end of that article suggests to choose default preferences. Are you suggesting manually resetting all preferences within Alias afterward? Or is there another option?

I did have a corrupted preference set many years ago, but I haven't had any trouble since then.

[amandaallsion.lila]

Just to update the situation. I've been working in it, and have reached an equilibrium with the feeling of it, so it's "OK" and not an "issue". It's just like working with a heavy bearing or flywheel now. Even though it's heavier to work with, I can still find a flow/rhythm. But I really would love it if this speed could be a little faster. It really seems like something slowed down in processing within it since updating.

[amandaallsion.lila]

Another update. I've confirmed there is a definite slow down in the marking menu since this update. I reset Alias as you suggested, even doing it manually (not importing/loading any preferences), and did the same on an earlier version of Alias so that I could compare workflows.

I tested using the same commands of creating lines, projecting, trimming, untrimming, deleting repeating several times to get the flow within both. All of these for me are within my marking menu.

In the earlier version of Alias, I can do all of the above without missing a beat. And when I'm using the older version of Alias, I can once again increase my speed. Then when I jump back into the newer update of Alias, it hangs up and doesn't register my selections in time, causing errors. Even if I do slow myself down to reduce errors, it causes tension in me to slow down my flow, and muscle aches faster than normal because I'm holding the movements longer.

I can't measure it, but there's no doubt it is slower, and as far as I can tell, it's something to do with this update, and nothing to do with my preferences being corrupt. Even if it is only 1/100th of a second slower, I retract my earlier comment that this is not really an "issue". After comparing it to the old version, I think this is a major issue. It may seem minimal, and it may not even affect most users, but it definitely can affect performance timing and stress levels while working.

[amandaallsion.lila]

I've figured out an easier way to test the difference between Alias versions.

For me, I can see the difference easily if I just pick nothing over and over as fast as I can. In 2017, I can see it responding appropriately and precisely when I unclick the mouse at the end of my stroke. The black line also correlates appropriately to the amount I moved my mouse.

In 2018.2, I can see a lag in the time before the "nothing" box appears, and the black line itself can vary in distance travel, sometimes very short, as if it did not register all of the mouse travel.

I did not notice this issue in 2018, and I did not upgrade/use 2018.1, so I don't have experience to comment there.

Again, I have a 4K monitor as well, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. A co-worker here said he believes he noticed the lag happening on 2018, so he thinks it has to do with the support for the higher resolution.

[amandaallsion.lila]

Saro, I was wondering if you remember when you first noticed the lag on your machine with the 4K monitor. Do you know which version started having an issue for you?

[amandaallsion.lila]

Florian,

Which graphics card are you using? Perhaps that is making a difference with the 4K monitor set up you have. I have an NVIDIA Quadro P6000. Driver version 375.86.

I doubt I can get permission to do a screencast to share the difference I'm seeing, but it is easier to see if you do a quick pick nothing repeatedly. I've been testing it at about 35 pick nothing selections per 10 seconds, and can see the delays and "misfires" in that testing rate. It's visible in the speed with which the tool box appears, and the length of the corresponding line to the box. (sometimes it shows the box with no line, which could indicate it was catching up and did not capture the travel distance.)

I see no lag/issues in 2017.

[Anonymous]

I started noticing with Alias Design 2018.1

[amandaallsion.lila]

Thanks. That correlates to what we are seeing here. I just tested a co-worker's 2018.1, and was seeing the issue there, but no issue on another user's 2018. However, the user with 2018 does not have the same computer/monitor as us. He does not have a 4K monitor.

Good to know your experience. Appreciate it. Are you still having the problem, then?

[amandaallsion.lila]

Oh, also meant to ask you, Saro - which Graphics Card and driver are you using on the computer with the 4K monitor?

[Anonymous]

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060

Driver 385.41

Yes, I'm still experiencing the slowdown.

[anandjoshi]

@Anonymous and others with Geforce cards.

I cannot find any hardware qualification chart having details of cards supported with certified driver.

From my personal earlier experience, I can suggest that Geforce cards are not fully supported. Quadro with certified driver will solve most of the graphics related issues with Alias.

Try using the latest drivers (which some of you must have done already!).

[Florian.Coenen]

Hello guys,

right now I don`t have any 2017 version on my computer to test the issue.

I am running a Lenovo Laptop P71 with a P4000 card and the driver version 385.41.

See also here my screencast of the test with just doing "pick Nothing" as fast as I can. But I am not sure, if I can recognize a lag.

I can see a difference between the Marking menu"rubberband"lengths of every single move, but I am not sure if it was related to a wrong click onto the mouse right now.

See here my Screencast: http://autode.sk/2wyfujT

I will also ask internally, if someone cast test this as well and to see, if other customers are having the same issue like you guys.

Questions:

1: Can you update to driver 385.41 as well?

2.. Can you test, if the issue is still there when reducing the resolution to 1920x1080  (I have tested both and am not sure, if I see any difference)

Awaiting your reply.

Regards,

[Florian.Coenen]

Hi guys,

some news here from me:

after an internal discussion, it seems that some of our developers where able to reproduce the issue, even if my systems are not causing this.

The devs are working on that issue already but I cannot promise you when the issue will be fixed.

I hope that information is useful for you guys,

Thanks,

[amandaallsion.lila]

Thank you for the screencast, Florian. And thank you for checking with your team there. I'm glad to hear they could reproduce the issue. Actually, from what your screencast shows, that does appear to be the same issue. It looks similar to what mine will do. I understand you could have clicked incorrectly as you say, but I had the exact same thing happen, where the rubberband would be very short, or non-existent at times. In 2017, that doesn't happen.

I believe 2018 is fine. I didn't have a problem with that, but just upgraded. I'd like to revert to 2018 now, though.

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Any news on this topic? @Florian.Coenen
The use of 2018 release is crucial for us because of some enhancements but this is really an issue that has to be solved as quickly as possible. I hope this is at least being reworked for the next release.

[Florian.Coenen]

Hi @Anonymous

it seems that the development is still working on it.

But I still have no information when the fix will be released.

Regards,

[joe.doyle.yyz]

Hello Michael, 

We anticipate delivering an update imminently that we expect will resolve this issue.

Regards,

Joe

[joe.doyle.yyz]

Hello all, 

I am pleased to announce that we have posted Alias 2018.3 today, which was created specifically to resolve the slow marking menu issue. We hope this should address the issues that have been reported. Please try it out and let us know if you see continued problems (or that your problem has been fixed!).

Thanks,

Joe